Reporting and writing for @nytimes. Ex-@latimes correspondent in Seoul. Tips: [email protected] | bluesky: @maxsoeunkim.bsky.social
Seoul
Joined August 2014
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The mass shooting at a school in Thailand on Friday prompted fresh calls for gun control in the country. But taking 10 million guns out of circulation won't be easy, and many experts note a troubling new trend: Thai mass shooters seemingly inspired by the U.S. Gift link below:
I traveled to Malaysia to learn about the port service companies that work with Iran's shadow fleet — and to understand whether the growing threat of sanctions might deter them. Gift links below:
nytimes.com/2026/10/07/world…
nytimes.com/2026/10/07/world…
The NFL, it turns out, is trying to export American football to Asia. For my latest, I looked at how in South Korea, the sport has struggled to break through over the last few (long-suffering decades), but some now see a glimmer of hope.
nytimes.com/2026/06/07/world…
Last month, I met Ejae from "Kpop Demon Hunters" and discussed what it means to be at the center of K-pop's biggest recent moment, all at a time when much of K-pop — as some fans are noting with displeasure — is scrubbing itself of its Koreanness nytimes.com/2026/05/04/world…
Gift link: nytimes.com/2026/05/04/world…
It’s strange so many people are acting like $3/word is some absurd sum. It’s not. Sure, it’s on the charmed end of freelancing in today’s market but anyone who’s done this knows how much time/work goes into the kind of story that editors are willing to pay $3/word for.
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Assuming you can even efficiently line up eight such stories a year — which in itself is extremely hard because there are only so many buyers and so much budget — this is basically a constant clip of work, lots of late nights and so on.
Last month, I caught up with Sae Joon Park, the Purple Heart veteran who was kicked out by ICE last year and is now living in Busan, South Korea
nytimes.com/2026/03/06/world…
What does it mean to age with dignity? For my first story for @nytimes, I visited a historic cinema in Seoul that has one answer that question — and has become a beloved hangout for the city’s older residents.
nytimes.com/2025/12/09/world…
Some personal news: I’ll be temporarily joining the @nytimes Seoul bureau until next spring to contribute to Asia enterprise and breaking news coverage. As always, tips welcome: [email protected]
My final story for the @latimes, on todays' A1, is about the factors behind K-Beauty's seemingly unstoppable ascent, one of which — other than the halo effect of Kpop or Kdramas — is just sheer manufacturing capability:
latimes.com/business/story/2…
Some personal news: after three years, I'll be leaving the LA Times later this month! I've got one final story in the works but after that, I'll be taking some time off to work on some personal projects and figure out what's next.
Caught off guard by the ICE raid in Georgia, many South Korean companies are halting work at their U.S. worksites. Costly delays seem inevitable, even if a fast-track visa program is granted. Many are wondering if building in the US is a bad bet:
latimes.com/business/story/2…
Korean companies' plans of expanding U.S. manufacturing is impossible without dispatching engineers and other specialists to shepherd the process. The recent ICE crackdown on a Hyundai - LG EV battery plant in Georgia will likely jeopardize this that: latimes.com/business/story/2…
South Korean convenience stores seem to be getting wilder with each passing year, offering hundreds of instant meals, gold bars, single malt whiskies and, at one point, BMWs. I wrote about why in my latest:
latimes.com/world-nation/sto…
